Carol I realize that you are looking for a very specific item but would you be willing to kidnap some skaters from a different pond?

Aphaea, I like that saying and need to remember it when I talk with my DH about not traveling next Christmas. We have the youngest grandkids (age 2&4) and we are expected to keep doing the traditions my SIL started 18 years ago when her oldest was born. It just really doesn’t work for us now that we have young kids and nobody seems to understand that. Except me haha.

Carol, I’ve never seen anything like your ice skaters but they sure are cute!

Thanks for looking at my ice rink, everyone. Yes, Greenfish, I may have to make/buy/DIY some skaters from a foreign pond. :)

Happy New Year! Most of the decorations have been put away, but this little vignette will stay for just a few more days. It is a Christ child figurine given to my mother by the village school teacher. My mom ended up marrying the school teacher’s son.
It is a figurine probably used in Mexico as part of the Christmas celebrations known as “Las Posadas”. I don’t know how old it is, but she got it in the 1940’s when she was a student and it wasn’t new then. Both of my parents are gone now so it’s very meaningful to me. Best wishes to everyone in the coming year.

How very lovely!

Carol hope the foreign skaters work on your charming pond. :)

Areyano so special and pretty!

I ran across this and had to post it. Especially for our friends in construction he**! It’s a ladder! So cute!!

Now that’s a great idea!

Flo I agree that is a great idea! Offers loads of surface to display treasured Christmas items. But maybe a little early. :)

Ms wms—never too early! Bwahaha! Cheryl- hope you see this!

Flo- yuppers I have the same pin saved....

I thought of you when I saw that ladder! How’s things going for you?

Official Christmas season ends Sunday, but this last one will remain through out January. It's very at home with all the snowmen.

I have left a couple of snowmen in the lantern on the counter.

https://www.houzz.com/user/missflomangan

Good days bad days.

Hubby & Chris are working on the cladding on the stairs & will start making the posts, if it continues to rain here. If the rain stops they will switch gears & work outside on the pump/power house.

We contacted the Insurance brokers about the damage & they will be sending a contractor over to give them a quote>>as right now it is a temp' fix, then hubby can decide if the contractor will do the job right, or he can take a payout & rebuild it himself the way it was before the tree hit.

Love the snowmen! So pretty. But here winter decor just wouldn’t feel right at the moment maybe some spring decor. :)))

Cheryl, those snowmen and fairy lights look great in the lantern.

I have this lantern that's big...almost 3' tall. I found the little tree to put in it for the holidays. Clicking on it will show more...not sure why it posted sideways.

:)

Probably a Houzz glitch....

Thanks, zaz! First time it's happened for me.

Chloebud I'm doing that next year. Beautiful.

Just curious....how many of you purchased marked down holiday items AFTER Christmas this year. I have actually never done that before because I am usually so over the holidays and ready to move on to the next thing. This year though I actually disciplined myself to get some sale item goodies for next years decorating.

I tried but found nothing I liked except a bag of cinnamon scented pinecones...for $16. I passed.

But on the just-before-christmas blowouts I got the first house for my newest display area, the top of our upright piano. I was hesitating between a forest with varied evergreens, a Nativity, or a Christmas village. I found a house I liked and decided village! And this Santa. I like that he is green. He'll be part of the display with my grandparents' reindeer from upthread. He's bigger than them so I'll stand him on the windowsill and hang them on suction hooks on the window. I hope I love it, I've been looking for a Santa for them since I was 10! We shall see. I think he suits their humble cuteness :)

Lindsey, love the green santa! I bought the lanterns at Pier One in 3 sizes...8", 14" and 24". Our daughter got the really tall one in the photo for me...34". They're similar to Pottery Barn's "Malta" lanterns but a better price. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the tallest one until I found the little tree.

I will confess that I brought 3 stuffed reindeer, shopping is limited here on the little island>> but for years I would shop the after Christmas sales, planning for the next years theme/color.. did I ever mention I had a 10x 12 room stacked with Christmas decore? now it up in the loft area of the shop & I know I have to pair down; but the thought. I used to host a annual Christmas party for the biz & friends for 10 years,hence all the decore which changed every year. anywhere from 20-40 people would attend

Nidnay, I have never done that either. I am such a homebody after Christmas. I am still trying to work on reorganizing and getting RID of some things ( sigh ) ! — It would be fun getting some new things for a new home though, as in your case.

Wow Cheryl....you must have gone through major withdrawal this year being unable to decorate fully.

nidnay- yuppers I would go down into the shop & look in the bins & find little things to use this year. Last year I just did a large lantern with fairy lights & ort in that sat in the RV on the counter.. so it has actually been 3 years since I really 'decorated'.

Well then, this year we will be expecting your brand new home to be decorated from top to bottom! :)

Nidnay, I would love to shop the after Christmas sales but we are always either out of town or traveling to be out of town. It’s one complaint I have for DH every year.

There is one fancy little shop in the town I visit and a couple years I bought something from them after Xmas but mostly I stay inside bc it’s cold there haha.

I do need some new garland for outside and hoped to find some online but none in stock. I found some 70% off sales before Xmas and figure I’ll just buy some them next year.

Even thoigh ugh I took down all my decor two weeks ago it’s stoll sitting in the guest room. I’m definitely boxing it up this weekend and hopefully throwing a bunch out too! I brought it all down from the attic to clean out the bins before packing back up.

And then hopefully be in a place to post some of my own design delimmas but I’m scared haha

i do, nidnay. What I have noticed, though, is that what I might buy is something i have seen and noted before Christmas but didn't wand to pay full price for. So I take the chance that the online retailer will still have it. i've lost a couple of things that way but it's okay. This past Christmas I bookmarked four items--three for Christmas and one for autumn.

Very pretty green Santa Lindsey.

Nidnay you pretty much summed me up, after the holidays I’m finished. I obviously love Christmas but during THE Christmas season only! :). Looking and buying Christmas decor as well as decorating the tree is all part of the Christmas season and joy to me. I would find it very depressing to buy something for Christmas afterwards. Haha

Cheryl your three year break will probably allow you to appreciate it even more when you’re able to decorate as you want in you new home. We want to see photos please. :)

I will probably be able to use photos from this past Christmas for the next one because chances are it will be identical. I am done. Lol

OMG, Aphaea, you just made me realize how silly I must have sounded to those who do their shopping on-line , when I said I am a homebody after Christmas. Obviously, I don’t do much on-line shopping ;)))), ( but mostly not for smaller items like Christmas decor ) ever ! Our kids will love THIS story, LOL ! I guess I am just a woman “behind my time”. I have ordered some things on - line , even rugs - but when I think of shopping , my head just doesn’t go there first. Unless , of course, it is shopping for suggestions for others on Houzz :)) . That comes pretty naturally, haha!

I have so enjoyed this entire thread!

Thank you :)

Hi WMS. I hope you’re well and having great success with your venture. I know you won’t be surprised to learn that Flo is chomping at the bit to get started on her Christmas decorations. I hope you will do us the honor of starting up this Christmas thread again this year. Everyone so enjoyed it and it was a big part of the joy the season brings. Think about you often.

I’m ready to go! Reining myself in until advent, as always.

I give vent to my cheer by playing Christmas music at full volume while I do the fall cleaning!

following

But this thread is too long and cumbersome. Come Advent lets start FRESH with a brand new thread.

And, tatts, if you don’t have anything nice to say . . .

Now is the time to design what you want for your Christmas decor. Whether starting from scratch or re-inventing your existing items, get what you need now. It is fun and good bargains out there already. I got some super good buys at Hobby Lobby to update a tree this year. All 50% off.

I wish threads would max out at 150 like in gw. Too long, not all the posts fully load at once, and every time I click on a photo to open, when finished, it bounces me back to the top.

Please start a new thread for Christmas.

Hi Seajay. thank you. :) I enjoyed this thread very much as well. LOVE seeing everyone’s Christmas decor.

I agree about starting a new thread, I will start one just after Thanksgiving. Think this was started the day after last year. Some including me may think this will be a bit early but I think everyone will agree that’s the start of the season. Boy is it coming around quick this year!

Hi everyone,

I am looking forward to the new thread with great anticipation.

I'd love for this one to go on but a couple of times during the year I tried repeatedly to go back and read this from the beginning. For some reason which probably has to do with how many posts it has, I cannot. I do click the "See 1250 more comments" link at the top and if I wait long enough I can eventually get back to the beginning number but the posts themselves do not go back. I am still stuck here regardless of how long I wait. What a shame! I'd love to be able to see the 2018 decorations.

Sadly, I am in transition this year, living in a studio until my new place is ready with most of my stuff in storage. I did keep out a few faux pumpkins that I have out at home and in the office plus one table top 2-foot flocked tree. The latter reminds me that I really, really want to live in the Pacific Northwest as soon as I retire. All that rain! All that cold! I can hardly wait.

Anyway, I have decorations for the little tree but they are in storage so I may buy some small ones at the the thrift store. Or not. I do have this photo that intrigues me and not just because of the color but because I am finding the idea of lots of silk ribbons (http://ribbonbazaar.com/ribbon/double-faced-satin&s=157&c=2423?ctag=R5jX4zKb&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9bnMjb-S5QIVGMJkCh1NnQRjEAQYASABEgJJo_D_BwE) simply tied on the tree intriguing and wonderful.

At my office, I keep a pretty dried wreath and a faux green tree as well. I'll bring it out the Wednesday before Thanksgiving as I take that Monday after off and want it up when I return on Tuesday. It has small emerald ball ornaments on it.

But the truth is I'll miss my red tree and ornaments and my tiny forest.

I’ll be on the lookout for the 2019 Christmas thread!

I’m already thinking of my decorations and what I want to change up woth my new decor.

and I’ll get My ticket to the VIP section in hell while I’m out! Haha

Maybe we start early and call it a “Happy holidays” thread. Oh no wait. She’ll probably complain about that term too. So Only say Christmas and only say it within the “approved” timeframe LOL

https://www.businessinsider.com/putting-christmas-decorations-up-early-makes-you-happier-2017-11

Pool. You made my day! You don’t need VIP pass you already have heavenly reservations up above for your uplifting sense of humor!!

I usually have the leaves piled to the left lined across the fireplace when we don’t have that going.

Here’s a photo of the mantle/ fireplace setup from last year, no fire and stockings aren’t up, our photo is different now but I imagine I will do the same setup as I usually have been doing and adding the red poinsettias on either side of the fireplace, that won’t go up until after Thanksgiving.

Made a wreath using a hanger and some pines from the yard lol

Hi there, I have started another Xmas thread, link below. Hope to see everyone there this year. LOVE seeing everyone’s Christmas decorations.

Because it is so early this year, hope you feel free to include your plans. It may be very useful to discuss what we would like to do. Also hope some share Thanksgiving decor, plans and recipes etc... All things holidays. :)

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5823389/show-your-xmas-trees-decorations-here-2019

Yes! On my way over!

I'm there! Thank you!